Water Storage Levels in Northern Cape Remain Strong at 99.5%
The Department of Water and Sanitation's (DWS) latest weekly report on reservoir levels indicates that water storage in the Northern Cape remains strong, despite a slight decline from 102.7% last week to 99.5% this week. The province's reservoirs have a combined full supply capacity of 149.29 million cubic metres.
Vanderkloof Dam, situated within the Orange River System on the border of the Free State and Northern Cape, remains stable, with storage levels decreasing marginally from 104.5% last week to 100.3% this week. Van der kloof Dam is at 99.57 % and releasing a total of 287.38 m³ this morning.
The province's two major river systems continue to record high water levels. The Vaal River System remains unchanged at 100.6%, while the Orange River System is at 99.9%.
Other key water storage facilities recorded the following levels:
Spitskop Dam near Jan Kempdorp is sitting at 104.4%, compared to 104.9% last week. Vaalharts Weir near Warrenton decreased from 85.5% to 76.5%. Douglas Weir remains above capacity at 113.8%, compared to 113.3% last week. Karee Dam is currently at 98.6% capacity.
The dams and weirs mentioned above are not intended for long-term water storage. They primarily function as balancing and multi-purpose facilities, serving as distribution points where water is diverted into pipelines, canals and power-generating turbines.
Readings from gauging stations along the Orange River recorded the following water levels:
Marksdrift: 1,524 m³/s
Katlani (downstream of the Vaal-Orange confluence): 2,633 m³/s
Prieska: 2,053 m³/s
Upington: 2,654 m³/s
Onseepkans: 2,086 m³/s
Sendelingsdrift: 2,196 m³/s
The Department of Water and Sanitation urges all water users across the province to continue using water responsibly and sparingly to safeguard water resources and ensure sustainable water availability for current and future generations.
For more information, contact:
Wisane Mavasa
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za
Amogelang Moholoeng
Cell: 082 653 1682
E-mail: moholoenga@dws.gov.za
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